Wayward
by smax-daemon
Summary: An innocent and naive girl is drawn into Tom Riddle's web of seduction and mystery. Set in the 1940's in 3rd year. There will be no mention of Harry (sorry!). Intro up, more to follow...
1. Introductions

**Author**: smax-daemon

**Characters**: Tom Riddle/my own creation

**Rating**: G (for now) reflects my own maturity. Will probably go up.

**Disclaimer**: I'm not J.K Rowling, the head of Warner Brothers or anything else legally affiliated with Harry Potter. Sue me. On second thought, please don't.

**Authors note**: This is my first fan fic in a **long** time. I'll fallen out of practise/lingo so please forgive me. I'm used to writing original stories and this is my first Harry Potter fic. Many of the details are probably incorrect so feel free to correct me. Also, I'm not totally sure when Tom Riddle went to Hogwarts (I dropped maths and all skills were lost) so I've assumed its during WWII.

I intend for this to be long… and possibly boring, sorry I'm a dull human.

* * *

**Chapter One**

Vespa Marks sat on King's Cross Station outside of platform 9 & ¾ on a suitcase, reading a Charlotte Bronte novel, considering her motivation for taking up the offer of attending Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Vespa came from a family of trained wizards; her mother was a philosopher and ethicist of the use of magic in accordance to the fair treatment of muggles. Her father was an author of wizard/muggle romance literature. However, an unfortunate incident of a London air raid meeting with her mothers exact standing point in the house, reduced her father to a nervous wreck, forsaking the seemingly useless wizarding world for the safer, if not more inconvenient muggle one.

This "inconvienant incident" as her father so lovingly described it, happened just months before enrolment to Hogwarts opened, and mere months after her brother, Radcliff was imprisoned in Azkaban on suspected and highly publicised murder charges.

Needless to say, Vespa Marks dashing the hope of many wizards in succeeding to become the greatest witch of all time, found herself at the age of eleven at London Girl's Academy learning trigonometry.

It was not until her brother was released from Azkaban after the apparently murdered woman 'turned up' that he displayed his horror at her non-attendance of her destined school and subsequently gave her a two year run down of first and second form of Hogwarts before pleading with the relevant authorities to accept a somewhat belated enrolment.

It was an uncommon request, but Vespa's lineage guaranteed her a position at the prestigious academy, provided she started first day, year three.

And there the mousy yet brilliant girl found herself, waiting in the bitterly cold train station reading the last muggle book in her possession, disobeying her father's wishes and according to her beloved brother, fulfilling her destiny.

Her foresight proved startlingly accurate.

Vespa was an extraordinarily brilliant girl. Able to grasp ideas, logical in thought and with a keen passion to learn, she was always intended to become a magic scholar. Her brother Radcliff had done exceedingly well, however when his future was cut short and most of his ambition lost, Vespa's parents thought solely of her.

Her father's departure from the wizarding world signalled Vespa's departure of interest from all things involving magic. Her three years spent using nothing but common sense and resources many wizards would have considered primitive made Vespa fiercely independent, practical and with a fond appreciation for classic English literature, jazz music and refrigerators.

It was lucky that Vespa possessed these skills as, given the somewhat materialistic nature of teenagers, she had little other 'assets'. Vespa's belief was that around three percent of the world was physically beautiful. Another three percent was grotesque. Sadly, Vespa fell into the mediocre ninety-four percent, with her unremarkable eyes, slightly too pale skin and lank, mousy hair. Most would describe her as plain, lacking the beauty of her mother (all **those **genes were inherited by her brother) or the charisma of her mother. Her parents, on an excursion to Italy had, hoping to give their daughter a more exotic name, saw the name for the scooters commonly ridden by attractive donna's and without considering its actual meaning named their daughter Vespa. It was only later they discovered the translation, wasp. Vespa had no complex word to describe herself, she just thought of herself as dull.

And so, feeling thoroughly introduced, Vespa was still remaining sitting on her suitcase, reading an especially boring section of Jane Eyre (where she runs away to the country with no money and for no apparent reason) waiting for her brother to arrive and show her onto the train.

Finally, not ten minutes before the train was due to depart, a flustered yet still attractive Radcliff, armed with a years supply of money and Vespa's farewell gift, an ominous black cat titled Annie, pushed her rather forcefully on the train.

Mustering all the powers of persuasion Vespa could, she forcefully mumbled, "Radcliff I think this is a bad idea. I'm finally starting to understand the concept behind linear maths in comparison to non-linear graphs in relation to trigonometry and, you know I quite enjoy looking at structuralism and the English language and I really think that going to Hogwarts is only going to detract from my actual muggle education…"

Radcliff was having none of it. Aware of his sister's potential and already late for a rendezvous with a Russian nurse on leave, he was wishing to go.

"Ves, get on the Hogwarts Express, you'll have fun, see you in a year."

While detaching themselves emotionally was something the Mark's family did extremely well, Vespa was teary at her brothers sudden departure and his lack of any sentimental feelings. Kissing her lightly on the head (and making her the envy of every girl and middle age woman in the vicinity) Radcliff attempted to motivate her with a smile, "Come first in the year for me, oh and magic me out if I get conscripted…" before shutting the train door and going to meet Anastasia, leaving Vespa rather lost and as frightened as a first year. Immediately going into magic shock, Vespa found the first empty carriage (not difficult as many children had decided to stay with their parents due to the risk of possible air raids or attacks) sat down and continued reading her book.


	2. and avoidances

Vespa remained undisturbed for around three minutes, forgetting the world she was about to be assimilated into. Forgetting about her inability (or unwillingness) to learn simple magic techniques (however, she had mastered levitation, something that provided Radcliff with much joy). Forgetting that she lacked the basic skills a human needed to get by, socially speaking, in life.

She was harshly snapped back into reality as three, fully robed wizards thrust themselves into her carriage.

"Me mum said its too dangerous to go flying about with the air raids and stuff. But me dad found his old broom locked up on the fourth floor and said I could have a go on it. It's only a Nimbus 35, but it flies and tha' really all tha' matters, long as mum don't find out."

A flushed boy of about 14 displaying the highly iconic Hogwarts emblem smiled quickly at Vespa before huffing, "Can we sit here? Everywhere else is full. I'm Herbertus, tha's Julia, Decimus and Lycanthro. So, who are you?"

The remarkably attractive and seemingly friendly boy looked expectantly, his throng of followers doing the same. Vespa's eyes darted from his face, to the others, to the burgundy and yellow picture on their robes that looked to be a…

"Well, if you won't tell us your name, at least tell us what house your in. Your too pretty to be a first year, and I've made it my duty to know every female at Hogwarts. Were all in Griffindor, 'cept for Lycanthro, but everyone knows he's evil."

"My name is Vespa. I am entering the school late, due to circumstances out of my control. I haven't been sorted."

"Well Vespa, its nice to meet you. We hope you'll be joining us in Griffindor, the only house in my opinion. But tell us, wha allowed you to join Hogwarts so late when they insisted we join so early. It better be a good reason."

Vespa was under the impression that people only judged each other in the muggle world. Without thinking she hastily explained her entire back history to her (hopefully) new friends."

"…and he's just recently been released on a pardon. So, for the past three months, I've been learning everything in the two year course and now I'm fulfilling my brother's wishes by attending Hogwarts."

"Blimy," spluttered an until now silent Decimus, "so your brother went and hacked all those poor women to death. Bet he's rotting in Azkaban now, what a sha…

"Excuse me please I have to go, I think my homicidal tendencies are also showing through."

Vespa, blushing furiously and trying to contain both her rage and embarrassment stumbled into the dining cart overhearing Herbertus mumbling, "Brilliant job". Landing heavily on a seat, her first encounter with wizards didn't go exactly to plan. However, she was soon served by a plump woman with wayward glasses, untameable hair and erratic mannerisms.

"What would you like dear? Pumpkin juice, onion mead or liquid poison ivy."

"Water, do you have any water."

"Well I'm afraid we don't stock it, its so uncommon for people to order it. We have had a very good crop of poison ivy this year."

Vespa, firmly in the grasp of culture shock certainly was not going to drink something so inhospitable sounding.

"Can't you just magic some up, _aquio appearo_ or something, isn't that what witches do?"

Aware that, even though her voice was barely above a whisper, she was attracting attention for her seemly absurd request, she looked hopelessly in the carriage to see if anyone would come to her aid. Finding no one, she eventually mumbled, "I'll have the least dangerous thank you."

The witch looked at her kindly, "First time in the wizarding world dear. Never mind, you'll soon be used to it. Here drink this juice, once you taste it, you'll never want to go back to water. Funny, I thought you to be older than eleven."

Vespa, unwilling to explain her life story to somebody else, simply smiled as if to say, well you know, its all the food I eat. Quietly, trying not to attract attention she drank her pumpkin juice (which was not as enjoyable as she was lead to believe) and looked at the rolling countryside.

Vespa was so interested in the picturesque views of Mother Nature that it took her a long time to notice the solitary boy that had seated himself next to her. Looking a similar age to her, he was of slight build (but who wasn't given the scarcity of food), pale ivory skin, high, prominent cheekbones and dark black hair. His fingers were long and slender and his eyes look absentminded and bored. Although just starting adolescence (he was almost an inch shorter than her) Vespa could already sense the beauty he would possess as he reached his final years at Hogwarts. He like the others was dressed in his robes, though his had tinges of green with a snake displayed proudly. The same as her family's old uniforms, Slytherin. Deciding that he might be as painfully shy as herself, she smiled at him, waiting for acknowledgement.

"Hello I'm Vespa, starting third year."

"Oh…um…hello," his voice was quiet and awkward, like he didn't want to be having the conversation, "I'm Tom Riddle."

Vespa, unable to fill the silence with anything witty, intelligent or interesting sat there dumbstruck. Moment's passed before a shrill,

"TOM! OVER HERE!"

travelled through the carriage. The yeller was a pretty blonde third year. Petite, but with hips and breast, curled hair and an impatient expression, Tom mumbled indifferently, "nice to meet you" as he walked away.

Totally unable to say or do anything and too introverted to ask if she could sit with them, Vespa sat alone, cradling her pumpkin juice looking very sad indeed.

It was then that the insane witch returned.

"A word of advice, and then I'll leave you alone to your sorrows. Sitting here, drowning your sorrows in a highly un-alcoholic drink is doing no one any favours, least of all yourself. Why don't you get over your self-pity and go and make some friends. Now this here is Fate, she's a muggle born too and just as nervous as yourself. Why don't you find yourselves a train carriage and talk about what houses you want to be in. Now here's a new product they want me to trial, chocolate frogs, who would of thought of it. Go on, take them, and make friends."

Fate happened to come from the same locality as Vespa, Cheapside. However, instead of discussing their excitement about Hogwarts, new food, new houses, new friends, Vespa always brought the conversation back to the muggle world. She was totally unable to let go of its interior services. Fate mentioned her eagerness at the thought of balls held in the great hall, Vespa would quickly ask her if she had seen the new Fred Astaire film and how it wasn't a patch on Follow the Fleet. When Fate accidentally brought up the subject that her brother was a muggle doctor, Vespa was totally enthralled and pursued the conversation for a further fifteen minutes. Finally Fate, looking worried at Vespa asked,

"Why are you going to Hogwarts?"

"I have to."

"Are you scared."

"Like never before."

They were interrupted with the pretty yeller invading their sanctum, screeching,

"Best to be off. Oh your not in robes, never mind, change when we enter school grounds." before being lead off by Tom

The train had arrived.


End file.
